Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-24
oDDrELIoWsHIP.
The Beauties OF Ihe Order Outside
OF Hss Pecuntary Bcnefits-S2, ,1SO,-
600 apent Last YeRr for Relief.


OF Hes Pecunisry BcneEits-S2,1 ,1SO,-
900. spent Last Year for Relief.
On the occasion of the reopening of
the lodge room in the Odd Fellows hall
ON Monday night week, after extensive
and Identifying alterations had been
made, Deputy Grand Master John Nj.
Whitford delivered the following address:
Noble Grand and Brethren: Upon the
occasion OF the opening OF ourlodge rooms,
after having been closed for improvements
for a time, it is proper that we should stop
and consider the condition Of our order; 10
look over the past and see what PROGRESS
has been made, and, II possible, TO profitby
experience, and start of anew, as 1t were, I'm
our beautifled and more convenient quar-
ters, with increased vigor and enthusiasm;
and, II possible, to bring the order of Odd
Fellows In this State to the front rank,
numerically, financially, In the perfection
of Its work and In the full understanding
and carrying out Of its principles.
The subject upon which ! am called to
speak this evening, in order to be properly
treated, requires me to use facts and
figures; therefore hope the brothers will
bear with me IL my discourse should prove
somewhat dry. will try to make it In
structive and hope you will be Interested.
Fret, let me speak a moment Of the
order itself. Is 1t worthy of the time we
spend In its behalf, OF the careful thought
and attention we give it, and of the love
we bestow upon it2 We need only to point
to the immense amount Of money expended
in relief to answer this question-e2, l80 900
In the last year; but that answer is only
from pecnniary standpoint. There are
other considerations. Some Odd Fellows
are very much more enthusiastic In their
work for the welfare of the order than
others; and II we notice particularly we
will find that those who work the HARDEST
and become the most deeply interested sell
dom let go OF the good work unless COM
PEELED to do so by uncomfortable clrcum-
stances. Others never get interested suffi-
ciently to attend the lodge meetings. The
reason of this is that the beauties OF the
order do not lie upon the sur
face, and, unless brother gets
beauties and goodness outside of the peeu-
MARY benefits. bis services do not amount
TO much. 1t Is O noticeable fact that the
brothers who do the work of the lodges are
not the ones who reap the beneficial advan-
taRes. As rule. those who draw the most
weekly benefits seldom come to the lodge.
except for the payment Of dues. Pecuniary
benefit is one of the important features,
and good feature, toe but the brothers
interested In the work love the order, not
for Its weekly benefits, but for its goodness
and Its intellectual and social advantages.
II may be true that men In choosing be-
tween good and bad will usually take the
bad, but our order teaches us that there is
also divinity In man which weds him to
lofty motives and honorable actions. and
the more we study the lessons OF our order
the more good we find In them. II Is this
fact which makes the workers who fully
understand its principles eager and willing
to become harder workers. have not time
to dwell upon the principles of the order
this evening; but those who make the work
study will testify that our order is worthy
of the love and respect of every good man,
whether he be rich or poor, minister, mer-
chant or mechanic, or of whatever calling
IN lie. That u Will not be appreciated by
bad men is one of its strongest recon-
mendations. While our principles may not
be o guarantee OF salvation, we can safely
say that he who lives up to them, to a rea-
sonable degree, Is good enough for this
world.
One Of the leading questions in our order
at this time is that Of attendance at lodge
meetings. How to secure good attend
anee is question which is hard to solve.
Some members do not seem to realize that
they have pecuniary interest in the lodge
which needs to be looked after. All mem
bers have an equal Interest; we all pay the
same amount OF dues and all are entitled 10
the same benefits. Therefore, 1t is not Just
that only few should give their time to
the lodge work. Nine out of ten of the Odd
Fellows In this city could, II they would.
attend their lodges once or twice month,
But men will go where there Is the most at
traction to suit their fancy, and the only
solution of the question / can give Is to
| make our hall and lodge room beautifuf'
and attractive (and the Grand Lodge has
made step In the right direction In this
improvement), to make our lodge meetings
bright and Interesting by introducing pleas
ant and profitable features, avoid quarrel
some debates, do everything. possible to
create good feeling among the members.
keep them interested in the proceedings by
giWiRg t6em some part to perform, induce
sociability, make every one feel easy and at
| home In the lodge room and interest new
| members, and thoroughly instruct them In
the workings and principles Of our order.
Many members do not come to the meet
| ings because they are afraid they cannot
work Into the lodge. Therefore, It ls i'm
portant that new members should be thor
| oughly and carefully Instructed.
careful study of the statistics OF our
| order shows steady increase In Its growth
from the year 1919, when 1t was founded,
until the beginning of the civil war, In 1861.
During the war the statistics show q con-
siderable decrease, the Southern States not
being represented IN the Grand Lodge Of
the United States; they made no reports,
and the growth OF the order even In the
Northern States was necessarily checked.
Inc period OF 10 years after the close of the
| war was the greatest boom In its history.
| In the year 1866 there was membership OF
l69,l26, and In 1876, 1U years later, there
was Q membership OF 453, ,903, it having
doubled In the seven years from 1866 to
1873, and making a gain in the 10 years OF
about 900 members. Wewould naturally
expect boom OF the order at that time,
| ior the reason that 1t had been quiet during
| the war and we had "good times" plenty
| OF work at high wages, and q general boom
| in business,
The next five years, from 1876 to 1881, do
not make very good showing, there being
an increase OF only 2,150 members. This
was tne nve years previous TO the change
In the work from five to three degrees, and
to working In the third degree Instead Of
| the lnltlatory, and IL seems to be very good
evidence that change was needed. The
Sovereign Grand Lodge was severely criti-
eised es,,a Ior making the change,and many Odd
FelloWs thought 1t would result In disaster
to the order. But the experience of five
| years proves that such is not the case. On
| the contrary, the five years from January
list, 1881, when the new work went into
enect, TO January LIST, 1886, show a gain of
about oo0 $1,000 members against only about
2,OOO In the i've years Immediately preced-
ing the change. This is true too, in fhe face
| OF the fact that we have had more Difficult
| ties to contend with than in the previous
| period. Business has been dull, wages
! lower than ever before, strikes and labor
troubles have prevailed over the country,
and many other secret organizations have
| sprung up and attracted the attention Of
| young men who would otherwise yery prob.
ably have become Cdd Fellows. Besides that
there were the immediate effects of the
change In the work to contend with and the
apathy and consequent lukewai mness OF
many Of the older members. tisnot strange
that there was opposition to so sweeping q
change. Men who had been Odd Fellows
for many years felt that the order had been
taken away from them and thatthey were not
Odd Fellows any more. The five degrees
having been put into three they were at sea
In regard to the secret work. They did not
know where the different signs and pass
words belonged; they were discouraged
and felt that they had to go to work and
learn Oddfellowship over again. But /
believe the whole order is now ready to
acknowledge the wisdom of the change.
The world is progressive. No institution
can stand still and be successful. Improve
ment Is necessary to success. That the
change in the secret work was an improve
ment, certainly no one can doubt, and we
can safely say today that the institution OF
Oddfellowshtp stands without a superior
In work, principles, intellectual advantages
and beneficial features. Instead of five de-
grees, the work Of which was long, cumber-
some and dry, We now have three degrees
embodying all the lessons Of the old five,
and illustrating in the beautiful Language
OF the ritual, and capable OF illustrating In
beautiful dramatic effects the three cardinal
principles Of our order-friendship love
and truth-as well as the solemn and affect,
tnfy lesaon of mama rnnYfoIit,, 01r ,,,rly a.